Edwabd m



(ModeL) E. M. BAL L.-

WIRE CLOTHE$ PIN.

No. 380,013. Patented- Mar. 27, "1888.

EH5. Phawl-mlngnphar. Washington. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIRE CLOTHES-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,013, dated March27, 1888.-

A'pplication filed May 10, 1887-. Serial No. 237,784. (Modeh) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BALL, a citizen of Canada, residingatNorth Coaticook,

in the county of Stanstead and Province of Que- 5 bee, Canada, haveinvented certain Improvements in Wire Clothes-Pins, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved form of wire clothes-pin, being madeof a single piece of wire bent or formed in such a manner that it may beeasily placed upon the line or removed from it, and when so placed locksitself firmly, so that the pressure exerted by the wind cannot open it.I attain these objects in the manner illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure2 represents the clothes-pin as opened readyto be placed upon the line. Fig. 1 represents the clothes-pin in itsgatural position.

My invention consists of a single piece of wire bent tothe shape shownin Fig. 1, having two loops or bows,A A, two bends to act aslocking-slides, a a, which may be moved along the curve a, and two jaws,a a, so

shown in Fig. 1, in which position they prevent the curve a fromexpanding and at the same time the jaws a a from opening, as thepressure of the line upon the inside of the circular opening I) does notcause the lockingslides a a to move backward upon the curve a. To applythis clothes-pin to the line,insert thefinger and thumb into the bows AA, as into scissors-bows, and force them-toward each 40 other. Thelocking-slides a a will move along curve a until they finally restin'the position the curve a, as the power exerted by the fingersovercomes the natural spring of the wire and causes the jaws a a toopen, as shown in Fig. 2. 1

What I claim as my invention, and desir to secure by- Letters Patent,is-

- 1. A clothes-pin formed of a single piece of wire so bent as to .formtwo jaws, of a,two locking-slides, a a, and the bows A A,substantiallyas and for the purpose described. 2. As a new article of manufacture,aclothespin formed of a single piece of wire, and con sisting of anarch,two converging clampingjaws, and locking-slides connected to thejaws and riding upon the arch, substantially as and for the purposedescribed. 3. As a new article of manufacture,a clothespin formed of asingle piece of wire, and consisting of an arch, two locking-jawsconverging from the terminals of the arch toward the center thereof, andformed with the curved portions, which meet to form a loop, b, and thelocking-slides radiating from the inner curved terminals of the jaws andriding on the arch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. As a new article of manufacture,a clothespin formed of a single pieceof wire, and consisting of an arch, two clamping-jaws convergpurposedescribed.

EDWARD M. BALL.

Witnesses:

J NO. FRAsER, I. O. CHUReHrLL.

